DELTA CENTER FOR THE ARTS L.H. HORTON JR. GALLERY PRESENTS:
“RIVER OF LIFE” SHELLY GARDNER & JOSHUA GREENBERG
Exhibition: November 29-December 20
Reception: November 29, 5-7pm
Gallery Exhibition Hours
Tuesdays: 11am – 4:00pm
Wednesdays: 11am – 6:30pm
Thursdays: 11am – 6:30pm
Fridays: 11am – 1:00pm
December 1st: 11am – 3:00pm
(Stockton)
The LH Horton Jr. Gallery is the visual arts venue of the Delta Center for the Arts at San Joaquin Delta College. The Gallery is a premier exhibition space located in the city of Stockton. The primary mission of the Gallery is to promote quality and culturally diverse artwork in support of our students' education and community at large.
The third show of the 2007-08 Exhibition Season is the work of Shelley Gardner and Joshua Greenberg, local artists from Oakland, California. The textural work of Shelley Gardner is comprised of organic materials. Wood, pods, cones, shells, and sand may be found wrapped in fabric, thread and screen. Nature has remained an enduring source of artistic inspiration for Gardner. "I have become increasingly aware of the cyclical rhythms in the natural world. I am particularly fascinated by the unique and strange ways plants manage to insure their reproduction in a hostile environment. In my material applications I attempt to mirror the slow cumulative processes of nature," says Gardner. The multi-layered surfaces are the result of observing the way in which seemingly small and insubstantial matter can slowly coalesce into a solid and enduring form. The development of seedpods, the formation of crystals, the sediment of a river bottom, are all examples of the processes Gardner hopes to emulate.
Joshua Greenberg's work is informed by the Pietre Dure technique of the sixteenth century, where an inlaying of small, exquisitely cut and fitted, highly polished semi-precious colored stones are found in paintings, tabletops, and other prized objects. Greenberg’s Table Tops exhibit serves a duel function: the pieces may be shown on the wall or on tops of tables. Unlike the traditional method of Pietre Dure, Greenberg uses auto-body fillers cut into plywood to give the appearance of inlaid stone.
One series of work was inspired by Greenberg's younger sister, who recently died after a long illness. The first of three pieces in the series refers to her operation, the second her burial, and third, heaven. While commemorating tragic events, the work reflects a substantial life lived in vivid color.
The LH Horton Jr. Gallery located on the ground floor of Shima Center on the campus of San Joaquin Delta College, at 5151 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA. Gallery admission is free and open to the public, and is wheelchair accessible. Group Tours are welcome, and Gallery Talks can be arranged. Recommended parking is available in the Shima lots for a nominal fee.
For further information, contact Jan Marlese, Gallery Director at (209) 954-5507 or jmarlese@deltacollege.edu.
Digital images available on request.
###
